To Fling or Not To Fling?

June 3, 2014

Summer has arrived and with it brings a wealth of choices for college students who’ve recently been liberated from the confines of the classroom and the shackles of their textbooks. Now, there is time for more important things, like choosing the appropriate SPF to wear at the beach and deciding whether or not to engage in one of the most classic college summer rites of passage – the summer fling.

Like every decision, there are pros and cons to the channeling your inner Danny Zuko or Sandy Olsson for a summer of loving. Keep these things in mind when deciding if you are ready to fling yourself into a summer love.

Pros

– A summer fling, by its very definition, is short lived. For those of us who enjoy the “honeymoon” phase of a relationship, then a summer fling could be right up your alley. They are typically short, intense and fun.

– Because a fling is for a finite amount of time, it often allows you to be more open and daring then you might be if you were trying to impress someone you want to keep around long term. This means you might be open to trying new activities (bungee jumping anyone?) that you wouldn’t have tried before. After a few months, you may even like the new adventurous you.

– By stating your intentions up front and keeping things casual you will likely create some great memories that you will look back on fondly.

Cons

– Not every summer fling ends with Danny and Sandy happily together. Be careful not to get too attached to your fling if the feeling isn’t mutual. You could end up getting hurt.

– Since the relationship will be new and exciting, it might be easy to become intoxicated with it and begin to neglect other priorities in your life, like your summer job. Be sure to have fun but also keep your emotions in check.

– Don’t forget about your friends and family members. Summer is a great time to connect with the people in your life that you might not see once the school year starts up again. Be sure to balance your time accordingly.